The state is adding $3 to every fine assessed in a Missouri municipal courtroom in hopes of raising money to shore up the pension program for retired sheriffs.

"We're paying enough in taxes now. We don't need to be paying extra for something like that," said opponent Tom Moore.

"The sheriff's departments need to find their own ways of handling this," said opponent Brian Wilson.

Municipal court in Kansas City is already frustrating because construction has tightened the available parking.

"They're just not organized here. I have all my papers together, and they're telling me I still have to come back," said Monica Gibbs, who was at the municipal court on Monday.

Judge Steve Salmon said there is a reason that groups hope to raise the money through additional court fees.

"Municipal court fees are low-hanging fruit," Salmon said. "Rather than passing a bill, assessing a fee, rather than another tax."

Salmon, who presides at several municipal courts in the Kansas City area, said he expects the fee to be challenged in court.

"I've seen and talked to several people who say they sure hope somebody takes this thing up," he said.

The $3 fee takes effect in late August, about the same time the Kansas City Municipal Court will also ask for another $7 fee hike for its specialty courts. The two would raise the court fee in Kansas City to more than $40 per case.

Kansas City Municipal Court is one of the largest in the state, handling more than 200,000 tickets each year.